Liar
by xXThe.Black.Parade.Is.DeadXx
Summary: After the team discovers that their leader has been lying to them, they have a few things to say to him. Inspired by "Liar" by Emilie Autumn. Prequel to "It Ends Tonight." Chapter 11- "Have any of you considered that?"
1. No Other Option

**A/N: HERE IT IS! CHAPTER ONE OF THE PREQUEL FOR "IT ENDS TONIGHT," "LIAR!" This story is inspired by the song "Liar" by Emilie Autumn, which you MUST listen to. YOUMUSTORI'LLCRY.**

**I hope you guys like this as much as you like "It Ends Tonight."**

* * *

**Chapter 1- No Other Option**

_**I want to hold you to the sun  
I want to be your faithful one**_

* * *

To hear that Artemis was actually alive brought relief… but this was short-lived. When they were told that Nightwing was behind this plot, there were mixed feelings, to say the least.

A majority of the team was absolutely pissed, especially Conner and M'gann. They had been on the team for a while, so they thought Nightwing would trust them with some of the bigger secrets, such as this one. Imagine their surprise when he didn't. They would've understood the freshmen, but they had known him since he was Robin! This didn't add up to them, not in the least.

The freshmen had mixed feelings. For some, they believed that if Nightwing had another option, he would've done that. Some believed he was a lying bastard and thought he should be taken off the team. Then there was those few that wasn't sure what to think or what to do.

Wally cut off any and all ties to Nightwing when they took out the Light and Artemis returned. He said he didn't want a goddamn thing to do with him, and thought the team should either remove him from his leadership position or take him off the team all together, to which some agreed. Artemis had given him a sympathetic look and told him that it would be alright in the end, but Nightwing knew that wasn't the case. Kaldur, much like Artemis, stood by his friend, and when he and the archer attempted to take some of the blame, Nightwing told them that it wasn't necessary and that the blame was his alone.

Zatanna was especially hurt by all this. Artemis was like a sister to her, and she was tricked into thinking she was dead. Nightwing had used her and her magic for a purpose completely different from what she was told. She nearly cast a spell that would kill him, but was stopped by Artemis before the word kill was spoken backwards.

When Zatanna said he deserved it and glared at her ex-boyfriend, Nightwing simply nodded.

* * *

The entire team, including Wally and Artemis, and former team members Zatanna and Rocket, was called into a meeting without Nightwing.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we should revoke Nightwing's leadership… better yet, I say that we take him off the team all together." Wally said.

This started commotion in the briefing room of the watchtower. Some were agreeing to Wally's statement, others were disagreeing.

"Hey… HEY!"

The room was silent, and all eyes were now on Bart.

"Look, we can't do this. It's going to affect the future, and not in a good way, if we take Nightwing off the team."

Barbara eyed the speedster. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nightwing plays a key role in the future… see, originally, this plan of his only partially worked. The Light was taken down, but the Reach wasn't… he died under unknown circumstances before the plan could be completed, and the Reach took advantage of the chance to take over while you recovered from losing your leader. I was sent to not only prevent Blue from betraying to team and Flash's death, but also Nightwing's mysterious death. Had Nightwing not had this plan, we wouldn't have the Titans in the future, which is more or less a more public version of the team we have now. I can't give you much more than that, but it's because of this plan that the future doesn't involve the Reach and Blue Beatle isn't under the Reach's control."

The team was shocked to hear that Nightwing's plot had such a big impact on the future, but their anger outweighed their surprise.

"Even so, wasn't there something else he could've done?" Wally asked, "Not once did he mention any other plan when he asked Artemis to help him."

"History books mention it, but they don't specify." Bart said.

"Actually, Wally…" Artemis said, "Nightwing did have a backup, in case I wouldn't do it."

"What? What was it?" Wally demanded.

"He thought about doing this by himself. Y'know, faking his death, getting on the good side of the Light, and take them out from the inside, without telling anyone. I told him I'd do this because I knew it would damage the team more than my own fake death."

"And you wouldn't let him do it?"

"What if he died, Wally?! I know you and he haven't been the best of friends then, but even I know you still care, even if he doesn't see it."

"After what he did?" Wally yelled, "I could care less if he dropped dead!"

"Wally!"

"**Stop**!" Conner yelled. Everyone was silent.

"Wally, you took it too far. Right now, we're not concerned over the other options Nightwing could've and would've taken. We're focusing on what the hell we should do about it." Conner said, "Now, without shouting, who here wants Nightwing off the team?"

Wally's hand shot up without a second thought, as did Mal's. Karen hesitated before she, too, lifted her arm.

"Anyone else?" he asked, surveying the room. When nobody else raised their hands, he said, "Who wants Nightwing to give up his position as leader of this team?" The same three people raised their hands, along with Zatanna, M'gann, and Raquel.

"Conner, what about you? What do you think?" M'gann asked.

"After what Bart said, I don't think it's wise to do either. I'm still pretty pissed at Nightwing, but I do see where's he's coming from. We did have to make it look good, and sometimes faking the murder of a friend isn't enough to prove loyalty."

"I feel it's wrong to not let Nightwing have a say in this." Robin said. Now, all eyes were on him.

Dammit, why'd he even bother to speak?

"As Conner said, Nightwing had a reason, and his logic stands. I'll admit, I'm kinda angry about it, but then again, I haven't been on the team for more than a year, and I've only been Robin for a year and a half. I can say the same for about half of you. In a way, we don't have a right to be angry. Well, the members of the original team do, but us freshmen, we don't. Plus, his plan did save humanity, at least for now, no matter how you look at it."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Conner said.

"But this doesn't change the fact that Nightwing played us. I'm sure we all have something to say to him, and goddamn it, I will say what's on my mind." Zatanna said.

"Zee's right… we all have something to say to him. And I'm sure Nightwing's more than willing to listen to us."

With that, the team was dismissed, and everyone was prepared to speak their mind.

* * *

_**I want to show you all the beauty  
You don't even know you hold**_

* * *

**A/N: Ewww, this chapter was TERRIBLE. I swear, it'll get better!**


	2. Hurt

**A/N: This chapter's kinda short, mostly because Conner's a man of few words...**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Hurt**

_**I'm hurting you for your own good  
I'd die for you, you know I would**_

* * *

"Nightwing."

The ebony-haired teen glanced over at the clone with a weary expression. Had the clone not been pissed, he would've been worried.

"What's the verdict?" Nightwing asked. His voice showed that he was expecting the worst to happen.

"We decided not the take you off the team, or revoke your leadership." Conner said, "Your logic stood, thanks to Bart and Robin."

Nightwing's masked eyes widen in surprise. He had thought the team would've wanted him off, or at the very least, to remove him from his position as team leader. "Why?"

"Bart explained to us that your plan originally only partially worked. In the future, the Reach took over, but the Light was no longer in any sort of power. He said that you died under unknown circumstances before the plan could be completed."

"Oh…"

"So, why did you do it?" Conner asked.

Nightwing looked him in the eye, something that was difficult for him to do. "We needed a way to get into the Light, find their weaknesses. Kaldur was the only person I could think of to go undercover, so we staged his betrayal. Kaldur hit a snag in the plan, so we began to add on to what we already had planned. Originally, I had planned on making it look like Kaldur had killed me, but before I did, Artemis and Wally intervened. They knew something was up, and I tried to tell them that everything was fine, but you know how they are… so, I had no other choice but to tell them…"

* * *

"_Dude, faking your death to take out the Light? Wouldn't that really hurt the team?" Wally asked._

"_Yes… but I don't have any other option, really." Nightwing pointed out, "I mean, what am I going to do, send one of you to do it?"_

"_Well…" Artemis said._

"_Artemis, please tell me you aren't thinking about what I think you're thinking."_

"_Wally, it's a necessary sacrifice. Think about what would happen if Nightwing did fake his death, and the team wanted revenge… they won't stop until they've avenged his death, and I know that since Batman lost the second Robin, this won't go over too well with him."_

"_But what about us, Artemis? If I lost you, I'd…"_

"_Wally, please. I'm sure Nightwing would do the same thing for us if we were in his position."_

"…_Fine. But I swear to god, if I lose Artemis, Nightwing, you'll wish you were dead."_

* * *

"I didn't mean for some of the stuff that happened to happen. La'gann was never supposed to be captured, Mount Justice wasn't supposed to be destroyed, and Kaldur's mind wasn't supposed to be fried. I know it won't do a thing about when did happen, but I'm sorry…" Nightwing said.

Out of nowhere, Conner pins Nightwing against the wall.

"You're **sorry**?! Nightwing, because of your goddamn plan, I lost my home! I don't care if you didn't mean for it to happen, because it won't change what you did. The trust I have in you is almost gone, and for what reason? It's because you kept your secrets. I get that that Bat family is very secretive, that your lives depend on them, but something this big should be shared with the team, at least me and M'gann."

"After the breakup you two had, I felt that it was better to keep it from you two." Nightwing says with a pained expression on his face, "Your heads weren't clear, even if you claimed they were. There's a chance you would've blown their cover, and chances are that Artemis and Kaldur would've died."

"Conner!"

Conner is practically torn off Nightwing by Captain Marvel, Rocket, Black Canary, Captain Atom, Plastic Man and Zatanna.

"Look, Conner, I know you're angry… most of us are, but we have to refrain from doing something we'll regret later on."

Conner pushed the Leaguers off him and leaves.

"Nightwing-"

"I deserved it. After everything I did, I deserved it." Nightwing said, cutting off Black Canary.

Canary sighed, "I'm not saying you didn't deserve it… but I'm not saying you do, either. I see where you're coming from, but I also see why everyone is angry at this point in time. Everyone has something to say to you about what you did, so I think you should listen to them."

"I know. I will." Nightwing said.

* * *

_**I'd give up all my wealth  
To buy you back the soul you never sold**_

* * *

**A/N: I don't like the ending to this chapter... oh, well. ON TO "IT ENDS TONIGHT!"**


	3. Anguish

**A/N: Here we go, chapter 3 of "Liar!" I'll move on to the next chapter of "It Ends Tonight" right away!**

**So, after I finish "It Ends Tonight" and get started on "Head Like a Hole," I'll get started on yet another project called "Where's My Wonderland," a story inspired by multiple Wonderland-related songs, such as "Where's My Wonderland?" by Blood on the Dance Floor, "Strange" by Tokio Hotel, and "Follow Me Down" by 3!Oh3. It'll include Artemis as Alice, Dick Grayson as her super sassy gay best friend (I'm sorry, but the thought of a super sassy gay Dick Grayson makes me happy)/The Mad Hatter, Jade as her sister (duh)/the Cheshire, M'gann as the White Queen, among others... just think of it as a very modern "Alice In Wonderland" with a YJ twist. I'll get to "Dick Grayson Versus the World" at some point... I know it was one that had the highest number of votes (combining my Quotev and FF.N results), but I just haven't been in the mood.**

**Also: I got my hair cut really short, and I feel so weird...**

* * *

**Chapter 3- Anguish**

_**I want to mix our blood  
And put it in the ground  
So you can never leave**_

* * *

Nightwing had a feeling Conner wasn't going to be the last person who would nearly break his arm over what happened. Not that he blamed anyone on the team… he knew from the start that the team would likely never forgive him for what he did.

Because of what had happened only a few minutes ago, Black Canary had arranged for the entire team to get their chance to say what they had to say, without trying to kill the former boy wonder. The entire team was once again in the briefing room of the Watchtower, along with Artemis, Wally, Zatanna, and Rocket. In the center of the room was Nightwing, who was looking at the ground, avoiding the gaze of his teammates.

M'gann was to mentally link everyone. The room would be under surveillance the entire time in order to prevent anything from happening to Nightwing. Nightwing would have the chance to explain himself before the team would decide whether or not his position as leader would be revoked or if he would be forced to leave all together. Since some very interesting points had been brought up by Robin and Bart, they all agreed that Nightwing should have a fair chance to explain.

Nightwing only hoped that it would be enough to keep the team together.

* * *

_Link established._ M'gann said.

The briefing room of the Watchtower disappeared, being replaced with a very unsettling backdrop. In the distance, two cities could be seen, which the team assumed was Bludhaven and Gotham. In the sky was the Bat signal, but it was unknown from which city it was coming from. There was a circus tent, from which came eerie music and screams. There was a marble fountain with an owl on top, and an inscription on it, which read:

"_Beware the Court of Owls,  
That watches all the time,  
Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch,  
Behind granite and lime.  
They watch you at your hearth,  
They watch you in your bed,  
Speak not a whispered word of them,  
Or they'll send The Talon for your head._"

The closest things that the team was near were gravestones. Most of the names were scrambled, so the team didn't know who they belonged to, but from the sudden surge of sympathy they felt from M'gann, Conner, Artemis, Kaldur, and to some extent, Wally and the sorrow they felt from Nightwing, they must have been important. There were, however, names and codenames that they recognized. There was one for the second Robin, one for Tula, one for Ted, and Nightwing's former alter ego, Robin. They were a little unclear on why that was there, but nobody bothered to ask.

The sky above was cracked, and in some parts, there were memories. There was one when M'gann joined the team, another one with the explosion from the simulation, a depressed Robin talking to Black Canary about said simulation, the death of the second Robin, Nightwing nearly beating the Joker to death, and their final battle with the Light, among others. Other than the distant circus music, the only other thing heard in the air was eight little words that repeated like a broken record.

_I don't want to be __**the**__ Batman anymore…_

_I don't want to be __**the**__ Batman anymore…_

_I don't want to be __**the**__ Batman anymore…_

They stood in Nightwing's mind, the entire group of heroes, and at this point, the answers they were seeking weren't the only answers they wanted.

"_Whoa… this is your head, hermano__?" _Jaime asked.

"_Yes, it is."_ Nightwing said, "_I'm aware that it's not really pleasant, but Gotham does this to you."_

"_Noted."_ Beast Boy said.

"_We came here for answers… but I'm not prepared to force them from Nightwing."_ M'gann said, "_We'll all find what we need to know, but we'll do this without killing each other."_

"_I'll let you know what you need to know." _Nightwing said, "_I'll give my memories for you to see, and hopefully you'll see why I did this."_

"_I guess I'll go first… why did you do it, Nightwing? Why did you involve Kaldur and Artemis in this?"_ M'gann asked.

Rather than explaining himself verbally, Nightwing found the memory and showed it to everyone…

* * *

_**One and a Half Years Earlier…**_

"_What am I going to do, Ace?"_

_Nightwing paced in front of his bed in his room at Mount Justice. Ace, the Bat-hound, just laid there. Agent A was away in England, Batman was busy on a League mission in Norway, Batgirl in Tibet, and Robin's family wouldn't allow him to take care of the German Shepard, so Nightwing had to take him to Mount Justice where he could keep an eye on the dog. Right now, if anyone else had been in his room, they'd likely think he was crazy… well, Conner might not, but still._

_And, technically, he was crazy. What kinda guy goes around in spandex, kicking the butts of other guys in spandex and random thieves, murders, and rapists?_

"_No suggestions, boy? Well, I guess I wouldn't expect any from a dog that might not understand whatever I'm saying."_

_To that, the dog just gave a confused look._

"_Exactly."_

_Nightwing sat next to the dog and scratched behind his ears._

"_What we need is and informant- we need someone on the inside. I'd ask Cheshire, but after the last time I asked her for a favor, Talia al Ghūl nearly crippled me. Jeez, last time I ever work with an assassin that wants anything from Ra's or his daughter."_

_Nightwing thought back to when the team discovered that the Roy Harper they all knew was a clone- that he was the mole._

_**That's it!**_

"_I got it, boy! I think I found a way to get into the Light! It's risky, but I think that I can pull it off with minimal damage. Now, I just hope he'll agree to it."_

* * *

_Nightwing knocked on the door to Kaldur's room._

"_Yes, Nightwing?"_

"_Hey, I need a favor…"_

* * *

_**Months Earlier…**_

"_It seems that we have hit a snag in our plot, Nightwing."_

_Nightwing paced in front of some crates in some sort of warehouse._

"_Define 'snag,' Kaldur." Nightwing said._

"_As you said when you came up with this scheme, my father wants me to become 'one with the Light.' However, before he introduces me to the Light, he still wishes to test me."_

"_Test?"_

"_He wants me to destroy the communication satellite set to be launched to Mars in a month."_

"_Oh, hell…" Nightwing sighed, "Okay, a month's enough time for me to come up with a plan, but executing it might be difficult. I think we could stage my own death so I can help you, but…"_

"_You have the team, Gotham, Bludhaven, and much more resting on your shoulders." Kaldur finished, "I do not think it would be wise for you to fake your death. At this time, the team needs you now more than ever."_

"_Right… and there's Robin. I know he could lead the team if he wanted to, and I think he's ready, but he lacks confidence. I don't want to put him in that position if I don't have to."_

"_I do not believe the team could take yet another loss, either… especially if it were their leader."_

"_I don't really have another choice, Kaldur. I'll just have to keep reminding myself that it's for the good of humanity. Hopefully, by the time that day comes, I'll have made a name for myself as a villain, as far as the Light knows, and we'll be able to take them out."_

"_Nightwing, I hope you understand what you are risking." Kaldur said._

"_I do… and I don't like it. They might… they might never forgive us for what we're doing now, but won't regret it if it stops the Light." Nightwing said._

* * *

_**One Week Prior to Mars Comm. Sat. Launch…**_

"_Okay, what the hell's wrong with you?" Wally demanded._

"_Nothing… just tired." Nightwing lied._

"_Don't give us that. We know what there's something up, Nightwing." Artemis said, "And we're not letting you leave until you spit it out."_

"_Be that as it may, I can't tell you guys anyway."_

"_Why not, man? Are you in some kind of trouble or something?" Wally asked._

"_Er… technically, no." Nightwing said, rubbing the back of his head._

"_Nightwing, please… talk to us. We might be able to help." Artemis said._

_Nightwing sighed. Yep, no getting out of this one._

_He explained to Wally and Artemis what was going on, and told him what he was going to do. That was when Artemis offered to go through with the mission._

* * *

_**I want to earn your trust  
Your faith, your heart  
You'll never be deceived**_

* * *

**A/N: ON TO "IT ENDS TONIGHT!"**


	4. Deception

**A/N: Wow, a chapter of "Liar" and a chapter of "It Ends Tonight" in one day? Sweet! I'll get started on the next chapter of "It Ends Tonight" now!**

* * *

**Chapter 4- Deception**

_**Liar, liar, liar, liar  
Liar, liar, liar, liar  
Liar, liar, liar, liar**_

* * *

"_Okay… that answers that…"_ M'gann said, "_But-"_

"_Why would you use me, Nightwing?" _Zatanna demanded angrily, "_You used my glamour charm for something other than what you said it would be used for, you bastard! Why would you… why would you do that to me, after all that we've been through?"_

Guilt is tangible in the air around them. Everyone was practically being suffocated from the combination of hostility emanating from Zatanna and compunction from Nightwing. The two ex-lovers were silent for what felt like eternity when, in reality, it was only a few seconds.

"_I couldn't tell you, Zee… I just… I couldn't. I had promised Kaldur that I wouldn't tell anyone, just as he did… I promised Artemis that I could come up with a disguise so convincing, the Light would buy it. Believe me, I wanted nothing more than to tell you because you deserved to know, but I couldn't find the words… and you'd disapprove of it. I don't need to be a detective to know that."_ Nightwing replied.

"_Well, of course I'd disapprove of it! I wouldn't want to put one of my best friends in that position, especially when she was retired!"_

"_Zee, I-"_

"_No. Just shut up!"_ Zatanna said, "_I __**will**__ have my say in this, and I won't let you interrupt me. Because of you, I felt such hostility towards Kaldur when, in reality, he was obeying orders. Instead, it's you who should be burned at the stake. It's your fault that Mount Justice and the Hall of Justice were destroyed! It's your fault that La'gann and M'gann were captured. It's your fault M'gann fried Kaldur's brain. It's your fault that that we can't trust you anymore."_

Nightwing said nothing. Zatanna continued her rant.

"_Nightwing, I thought we could trust each other. I thought that you trusted me enough for this kind of thing. We dated for three years… we loved each other! I could understand keeping it from the newer members of the team, but what about us? What about the rest of the original team? We had a right to know this, and I'm sure you knew that, but why keep us at arm's length?"_

"_Zee, it's-"_

"_Don't you dare say that it's complicated! We all know that it's not!"_

"_I was trying to protect you, all of you! If you all knew, it would've compromised the mission! Artemis and Kaldur could've been killed!" _Nightwing said, his guilt slowly turning into frustration and anger, "_If I told you, it wouldn't have looked convincing! If I told any of you, it could've cost us more than Mount Justice or the Hall of Justice! It could have cost the freedom of humanity, a risk I was not willing to take._

"_I tried so hard, Zee, to keep it together. I was so scared that they wouldn't make it out alive… I was so scared that this would be the end… that this would haunt me for the rest of my life… and it is. Those words I said so long ago kept coming back to me, making me feel worse. I didn't want to send in Artemis or Kaldur, but I didn't have much of a choice. I had a secondary plan, but it would've been harder still to pull it off."_

Once again, the guilt returned to Nightwing, and the anger on Zatanna's end decreased somewhat.

"_My head's messed up for a reason, Zee. I've literally driven myself insane with all that's happened lately. If I could take back what I've done, I would… but it'd take back the results, too. We'd be back at square one once again, without a hope of stopping the Light. With my past coming back to haunt me on top of Gotham, Bludhaven, the team, and this stupid plan of mine, it was only a matter of time… but I don't regret it. Not if it saved the world. Not if it improved the future, even a little."_

Zatanna's features soften slightly. Really, what she was so upset about was the fact that her ex-boyfriend didn't tell her about this. Honestly, she could care less about the misuse of her glamour charm. She could care less about Nightwing's decisions. No, what really hurt was the fact that he didn't say a word to her.

"_Nightwing… what would he say? And don't you dare play dumb, because I know for a fact that you know who I'm talking about."_

And she was right. He knew exactly who she was talking about.

Jason.

"_Please, Zatanna… don't bring him into this."_ Nightwing whispered. The team got a vague feeling of who they were talking about.

"_If he were still here, he'd be as angry as we are. I know it. I might not have known him all that well, but I know he'd feel that way."_ Zatanna said, "_And he's not the kind of kid who forgives easily. If he were watching, I doubt he'd forgive what you've done."_

The instant those words were spoken, Zatanna regretted it… but not enough to take them back.

Nightwing looked away from Zatanna. "_You're right… he wouldn't forgive me. How could he, after I let him die? How could he if I couldn't do a thing to protect him?"_

Zatanna didn't reply. She felt that she made her point, even if she went a little too far.

* * *

_**Liar, liar, liar, liar  
Liar  
Liar**_

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know, I made Zatanna take this too far... but she's angry, okay?**


	5. Contingency

**A/N: I'm so sorry that these chapters always end up being so short, but I honestly do this so I can move on to "It Ends Tonight." Writing prequels is so hard...**

**The events of chapter 10 of "It Ends Tonight" have also left me bawling, so I'm in the process of writing a two-shot inspired by "Stay Young, Go Dancing" by Death Cab for Cuite for some cute fluffy romance. It's 1920's AU for YJ, so there'll be some terms that are really out of date (i.e. shiv, which means knife, gams, meaning legs, and Dick, meaning detective [no, seriously, look it up], among others. Don't worry, I'll have a mini glossary at the end of both parts in order to prevent the spamming of messages reading "What does [insert random, out-of-date term here] mean?" It'll be Birdflash, with some Snaibsel (Artemis and Zatanna, in case you don't know) and some BluePulse (BECAUSE I NOW SHIP THEM SO HARD!) as well as Supermartian, Aquarocket (it that what we're calling them?) Tim/Cassie (Wonderbird?) Roy/Jade... and Jay's there, too, but I can't think of anyone to ship him with at the moment (I'll take suggestions through PMs, not reviews... and if they're OC's, you'll. be. REEEEEEEEJECTED. Sorry, no problem with OCs, but I just don't like them. I DON'T EVEN PAIR MY OCS WITH ACTUAL CHARACTERS.)**

**Sorry. Shameless advertising over. I've just been having a lot of ideas lately.**

* * *

**Chapter 5- Contingency**

_**I want to heal you pretty sweet  
I'll throw rose petals at your feet**_

* * *

"_Zatanna, you went too far!"_ M'gann said.

"_It had to be done." _Zatanna said, all anger replaced with a mostly emotionless voice, "_The bastard wouldn't have understood any other way. Sometimes you have to cross the line."_

"_But did you have to cross __**that**__ line?"_ Raquel asked, "_I dated him, too, remember, but I know when I should or shouldn't bring something up!"_

M'gann was the only one able to pick up on the guilt on Zatanna's side. Nightwing's own guilt overpowered it, so everyone else, including Nightwing, thought it was his own.

"_Yes… I did. I did say that I would have my say in this, and I did. Like Nightwing, I don't regret it."_ Zatanna replied. Her voice said otherwise, but Nightwing didn't seem to pick it up.

"_Zatanna-"_

"_Let it go, Raquel."_ Nightwing said, "_Zatanna's right. If I were in her shoes, I'd probably cross that line and bring up her…" _Nightwing stopped himself then and there. Any other time, he would've brought up Zatanna's father, but he just wasn't in the mood.

"_My __**what**__?"_ Zatanna prompted, "_Go ahead, say it."_

"_I'm not that cruel. I'm the one on trial here, not you."_

"_Both of you, stop!"_ M'gann said, "_I don't care what either of you say about this matter right now! Zatanna, I understand your anger, but saying something like that went too far. Nightwing, even after what you did, I don't think you should've taken that without a fight. I don't think what Zatanna said was right and I know deep down, you don't think so, either._"

Neither Zatanna nor Nightwing made a response.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, Nightwing finally spoke up. _"Anyone else want to yell at me? I deserve it, and I know most of you think so. Then make your decision on whether or not you want me to leave the team or give up my leadership or whatever. I won't hate you, any of you… I did have it coming."_

Raquel piped up, "_What was your secondary plan? What did you have planned if Artemis didn't go along with your plan?"_

Like before, Nightwing showed a memory just months prior…

* * *

_**Months Ago…**_

"Are you sure about going through with this, my friend?"

"_I've got no other choice, Kaldur."_

"I am sure there is another option that you choose not to tell me."

_Nightwing made no response._

"There is another plan." _Kaldur responded. It was a statement, not a question._

"_There is… but I don't want to bring her into this just yet."_

_Nightwing stood on top of the Bludhaven Police Department. He was not dressed in his usual garb. He wore a black and orange outfit similar to his Nightwing costume, but with slight, subtle differences (outside of the colour, of course). He wore the glamour charm that Zatanna had created, which had changed some of his features. Rather than jet-black hair and deep blue eyes, he had dark auburn hair and dull, lifeless, and somber brown eyes. Nightwing took note of the gang he was watching- a very small drug ring, with no more than ten or twelve people. What they possessed was a drug called Titan, something far different than crack or crystal meth, and far more deadly than Blockbuster or Venom._

"_Gotta go Kaldur. I've got my sights set on my target."_

"Good luck, Ni-" _Kaldur stopped himself before he corrected himself, _"Renegade."

"_I do not need zee luck, Kaldur'ahm." Renegade said in his convincing Russian accent._

_Renegade stealthily crept into the warehouse next to the police department, wondering just how corrupt the officers here were if they let a drug ring operate right next to a police department._

_As he observed only moments earlier, there were about ten or so people in the entire ring. However, all of them used the Titan drug, which was several times stronger than Venom and Blockbuster put together. However, he had come in prepared- he did his homework on Titan, and was able to find the weaknesses of anyone on it- fast and unpredictable movements._

_Nightwing/Renegade could do fast and unpredictable. He wasn't a speedster, but fast and unpredictable didn't require being able to break the sound barrier._

"_So, dis iz zee Titan drug ring, da?" Renegade called out, "I a… vhat's the vord… unimpressed."_

"_How'd you get in here?" A woman- from the looks of it, their leader- called out._

"_Your security system, it iz terrible. Disabled it in under minute." Renegade said, "Ah, sorry… I am not good in zee English. Da, very bad."_

"_Attack him, now!" the woman yells, "No mercy!"_

_One of the men, who was obviously currently on Titan, charged._

_Renegade didn't even flinch._

_A fist collides with the man's jaw, and he's send crashing down onto the floor. Renegade rubs his fist._

"_A steel jaw, da? I vill be sore tomorrow. Who iz next?" he asked._

_One by one, Renegade quickly takes out each Titan-high druggie until all that's left is the woman. She looks at him in fear._

"_Who are you? What do you want?" she asked._

"_I am zee Renegade. I am new here, da… arrived here from mother Russia short vile ago. Vhat I vant is cut of profit, da. Titan iz expensive drug, vhich means much money. I vill need zee money for… future endeavors."_

_The woman agreed. She wasn't about to get herself killed saying no to the guy that just took out her entire ring solo._

* * *

_**I'll spend eternity  
Comparing all my poetry to yours**_

* * *

**A/N: ON TO THE ALTERNATE ENDING OF "IT ENDS TONIGHT!"**


	6. Secrets

**A/N: You guys might as well get used to these short chapters. Each chapter is designated for a single character to rant (except for the final chapter), and I can't make an eight page rant. I won't change anything, since it took so long to get the song to fit with the story. Eh, at least I update, right?**

**Oh, and the not-really-a-sequel to the alternate ending of "It Ends Tonight" now has a name- "Move Along!" It's inspired by the All-American Rejects song "Move Along," which I thought fit with the alternate. It's a bit humerous, with plenty of fluff and Big bro!Nightwing, Daddy!Bats, and Big sis!Artemis, among others. (and Conner temporarly leads the team... what could go wrong?)**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Secrets**

_**I want to see love through your eyes  
You'll never have to compromise**_

* * *

After everyone had a chance to give Nightwing a piece of their minds, M'gann cut the psychic link.

"Anything else you'd like to say in your defense, Nightwing?" M'gann asked.

"No… do your worst. At this point, I'm starting to think it'd be best if I left altogether." Nightwing said.

The room went into chaos. Some members were all for Nightwing leaving the team, while others, for varying reasons, were not.

"Yeah, the traitor should leave-"

"-but what about Bart's warning and-"

"-don't even give a-"

"It's not fair to judge him on-"

"HEY!"

Everyone was silent as Artemis screamed at everyone. She had her bow and arrow- _where on earth did they come from?-_ out and ready, pointing at the person that was the first to shout- La'gann.

"Everyone shut up." The archer said, "I don't think any of you understand what we've gone through. You have no idea how much pressure has been on Nightwing, Kaldur, Wally, and me for so long. None of you are in the position to say otherwise. We've been trying since the team was formed to prevent the Light from succeeding in whatever plan was in their head, and we've never been fully successful. But this plan saved humanity. Think about that, first. Don't think about what we had to do, or who was involved. We're just soldiers dying here on the battlefield, anyway. We're just as insignificant as the next person."

Artemis continued, "We've let Nightwing try to explain to us his reasoning, and we all agree that his logic stands. So, I say we listen to everyone else's positions on the matter. Then, after that, we will decide if Nightwing stays or goes, or if he should step down as leader or not."

"Artemis…" Nightwing said, "Maybe it's best if I-"

"If you just leave? Nightwing, this team needs you, more than you or anyone else may know or understand. Regardless of what my _boyfriend_ said-" Artemis glared at Wally for a few seconds, silently telling him that Nightwing only did what he had to, "-I don't think you're at fault. So, I say we give you a fair trial, okay?"

"Artemis-"

"I'm not going to hear it, boy wonder. You're staying right here until we've reached an agreement."

Nightwing sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with Artemis. "Alright."

"Now, you'll have some time to speak, all of you. I will give all of you three minutes to make your case." Artemis said, "Everyone, including myself, will either justify Nightwing's actions or explain why his actions were inexcusable. Does everyone understand?"

Nobody dared to speak. Instead, everyone nodded their heads.

"Batgirl, you can go."

Batgirl stood up. "I honestly don't know what to think about this. Nightwing, we've known each other since we were nine. We told each other almost everything. I remember when you first found out who I really was. You pretty much just punched Batman, who knew about this, and stormed out of the freakin' batcave. I remember Batman said he didn't tell you because he had no right to. I'm sure the same instances could be applied here, but I can't help but feel hurt by it. I wonder if that's how you felt when you discovered that I was going out and fighting crime in Gotham with nothing but my black belt in Karate and my gymnastics.

"Nightwing, I felt heartbroken when I thought Artemis was dead, but even more so when you didn't tell me she was alive. And now, I'm torn between killing you and asking you what made you think this was the best course of action. I wanted to laugh and cry when I realized that Artemis was alive, and I now want to tear you down and defend you now that I know you were behind it. I don't know what we should do, Nightwing, I really don't. I guess I say that I'm neutral, for now, at least."

"Batgirl… I wanted to tell you, all of you…" Nightwing said, "But I couldn't. We had to make it look good, and it hurt. It hurt to make people think Artemis was dead. It hurt to hide this from everyone. But sometimes, we have to do things that will protect the innocent. I should've gone, I should've not involved Artemis, or Kaldur, but I couldn't do it alone. Not with so much as stake. Had we failed… had we failed, all hope for humanity would have been lost."

Batgirl gave him a look between sympathy and anger.

In reality, though, she knew he was right.

* * *

_**I'd give up all my fame  
To fight your demons and your bloody wars**_

* * *

**A/N: I hate it when I can't get into character... AND I HATE CARTOON NETWORK EVEN MORE FOR CUTTING YOUNG JUSTICE! I JUST SAW THE NEW EPISODE AND CRIED. DAMN YOU, CARTOON NETWORK!**


	7. Emotionless

**A/N: This story is starting to bore me... I'll still continue it, but with much less enthuasim.**

* * *

**Chapter 7- Emotionless**

_**I want to mix our blood  
And put it in the ground  
So you can never leave**_

* * *

"Who's next?" M'gann asked.

"I'll go." Robin said. The teen looked nervous, since he almost never said anything in front of the entire team. Many people thought that the third Robin was just naturally a shy person, or that he was afraid to speak because he might sound stupid. In actuality, though, Robin chose to keep to the background for one main reason: he was the successor to the second Robin. In his eyes, he was just there on the ground that Batman, as well as the team, needed a Robin. He thought that people thought very little of him because of this fact, that they just viewed him as a replacement for the second, and, ultimately, Nightwing.

"You have the floor, Robin." M'gann said.

"Um, okay…" Robin sighed. Now that he was on the spot, he found it hard to think of what to say. "I know that a lot of you are hurt by Nightwing's decisions. I know that many of you are seemingly incapable of making such decisions. But I don't think any of you had stopped for even a moment to think of what Nightwing went through while all of this was happening. So much happened within just a few years… the team has lost and gained new members, Nightwing became leader, and we had to stop an alien invasion. Do you have any idea how much pressure that puts on a person?"

"Well, yeah, we understand the pressure, but-"

Robin cut Wally off, "You've got no right to speak! You may have been on this team for a while, but you left before it got as bad as it did! I don't think you have any idea what Nightwing went through, anyway, because you weren't here. As far as I know, you stopped giving a damn after you left!"

"Robin!" Nightwing said. He, like the rest of the team, was surprised by the normally soft-spoken and obedient teen's outburst.

"It's true and you know it! Artemis was the one that actually kept you two connected! I'm sure that if she wasn't with Wally on your birthday, he wouldn't even remember it!"

Robin took a deep breath. He had to calm down.

"All that aside, none of you, other than Kaldur, understands the amount of pressure a leader is put under when so much happens at once. When Nightwing took over, he had to make tough decisions, decisions that ultimately helped us greatly. We've seen how hard he tried to keep everything together. We've heard his reasoning. We can't deny that his logic stands, and even if we did, we'd be proven wrong time and time again."

Robin glanced at his older brother. "Everyone in the bat family has had to deal with something so painful and so dark, we've had to abandon our emotions in order to keep us from making mistakes we'd soon regret. Nightwing, from what I heard, had come so close to killing the Joker after the second Robin was murdered, because he let his emotions get the better of him. M'gann practically lobotomized Kaldur after Artemis' 'death' and she ended up regretting that, too. I know you all are angry, but for a minute, think about what's been going on in Nightwing's mind for over a year."

Robin had a point. Everyone knew very well that Nightwing, though much more emotional than most of the Bat family, still had to keep his emotions in check in order to keep from making a mistake. They had even seen his mind for themselves- he was going insane, just from doing what he had to. The team knew Robin was right about them not understanding the pressure their leader was under. None of them ever stopped to think that this might be more damaging to Nightwing than they thought.

On top of that, Bart's warning still hangs in the air.

_Had Nightwing not had this plan, we wouldn't have the Titans in the future, which is more or less a more public version of the team we have now. I can't give you much more than that, but it's because of this plan that the future doesn't involve the Reach and Blue Beatle isn't under the Reach's control._

Slowly, they were starting to realize that Nightwing had a valid reason… but nobody dared to acknowledge it.

* * *

_**I want to earn your trust  
Your faith, your heart  
You'll never be deceived**_

* * *

**A/N: Yep... still very short chapters... the next three will be slightly shorter than this, since I can't get into character when I do Mal or Karen, and I really don't like La'gann.**


	8. Hatred

**A/N: Short chapter, but that's only because I don't like La'gann much.**

* * *

**Chapter 8- Hatred**

_**Liar, liar, liar, liar  
Liar, liar, liar, liar  
Liar, liar, liar, liar**_

* * *

"Okay… who's-"

La'gann cut M'gann off, "It's my turn."

M'gann nodded. She gave Nightwing a sympathetic look, knowing the La'gann would show no mercy. Nightwing looked back at her with eyes that seemed to read _I deserve it. He's free to do his worst._

"Do you have any idea what you put us through? Do you have any idea how close I was to destroying one of my closest friends? I could have killed Kaldur or Artemis! You kept this thing a secret from us, and look what's happened! They may be alive now, yeah, but what if you kept that secret for one more day? The last thing he'd have to worry about would be brain damage!"

M'gann flinches, but it seemed that Nightwing was the only one to notice.

"Neptune's beard, I could kill you for what you've done! I could, if I wasn't taught to do things differently. Had I not been on this team, had I not had Aquaman as a mentor, I'm very sure I would've without any mercy whatsoever! What, am I not good enough to be trusted? Am I not a convincing actor like the people you chose to confide in?"

"I don't blame you for thinking that way." Nightwing said, "I don't blame you or anyone else for hating me. I even hate me. La'gann, it's not that I think you aren't good enough to be trusted, or that you're not a convincing actor. I felt that the smaller the group of people that knew about this operation, the better. In fact, originally it was just Kaldur and me. Artemis would only do it if Wally knew about it, so it was just the four of us. M'gann found out the hard way and, unfortunately, didn't tell anyone until it was too late and she was captured by Deathstroke. Then, I had no choice but to tell you and Conner, and eventually, the rest of the team learned of it. But the reason for it was to keep their cover from being blown, resulting in something bad happening to them both. I honestly had no idea if this plan would work out because, in case any of you didn't realize, I've never done something like this. I never wanted it to come to that, never. After that simulation, I wanted nothing to do with leading the team, because I just knew something like this would happen, I _**knew**_ it. And I'm sorry it had to come to that. I'm sorry. But that in no way means that I'd take it back. I won't take back a victory that saved the earth."

The entire team was silent. Right then and there, Nightwing had just spoken his mind, and some now felt guilty for ever being angry. But this didn't stop La'gann from speaking his mind.

"You're right. I do hate you. But do you not see what you've done? Do you not see the damage you've done? I don't care if a smaller group was beneficial or harmful, or anything like that. We still may have gotten the same results if you told everyone!"

"No, we wouldn't have. We had to make it look good, and if others knew, they wouldn't even try." Nightwing said, anger now in his voice, "You don't realize how hard it is to do this kind of thing. You don't realize how difficult it is to pull something like this off. When it was just the eight of us, I went in a deep cover mission as a student for HIVE along with Zatanna and Superboy, and everyone on the team knew about it. Our cover was blown quickly, and for what reason? Part of the team kept pulling their punches, and the other half avoided attacking us. That's why I chose to keep it among a few people, because I learned from experience."

La'gann glared at him, "Then how are we supposed to prove ourselves if you won't let us?"

"You all have plenty of opportunities to prove yourselves." Nightwing said.

La'gann couldn't respond… but it did make him think.

_Was Nightwing right?_

* * *

_**Liar, liar, liar, liar  
Liar  
Liar**_

* * *

**A/N: Moo.**


	9. Suffering

**A/N: I hate coming up with chapter titles... so, I save it for last, because I don't plan out my writing. Ever. Since I took creative writing, I've learned to come up with a plot on the spot, so pre-writing feels so unnatural to me... it's like sightreading in band class, only harder.**

**And, since my greatest musical influence (My Chemical Romance) broke up, I've had a harder time coming up with plots on the spot, as well as titles.**

* * *

**Chapter 9- Suffering**

_**Are you suffering?  
Are you suffering?**_

* * *

After La'gann had a chance to chew Nightwing out, there was silence. The point their leader brought up had made people think, especially Mal.

But Mal still had questions left unanswered.

He didn't even wait for M'gann to ask who wanted to go next, "What you said is true, that many of us did in fact have a chance to prove ourselves. But what about those of us that have proven ourselves? What about those that have, time and time again, proven that we could be trusted? What of those that always do what they're told to do by you, our leader? Even after that, you still don't tell us? You refuse to tell us that our teammate is alive and well, that they're just undercover, that nobody betrayed anybody?"

"As I told La'gann-"

"I'm not done." Mal said, cutting off the younger male, "This plan of yours resulted in the destruction of Mount Justice, having a total of five of our team taken as hostages, a few near death experiences for not just us, but you as well, and the destruction of the Hall of Justice? A leader shouldn't do something like that! A leader shouldn't let their teammates get captured, or let two of their headquarters get destroyed within the same month! A leader shouldn't be risking everyone's necks at once! We didn't rectify anything until the very end, and even then, we still had problems!"

"Mal, I know what I did was damaging. I know that telling only a few people wasn't right. But there are times when we just have to do things we don't want to do. I **promised **myself that I'd never become like Batman. I **promised** myself that I'd never let myself become like that. I was **thirteen**, Mal. Thirteen when I discovered what it meant to be Batman. But… that was **Robin's** promise, not **Nightwing's**. Robin was the geeky little troll that didn't want to lead. Nightwing is the dark knight of Bludhaven, and the leader of this team… a role he **didn't even want in the first place.**

"I had no other choice. I became who I didn't want to be to save the planet. If I'm stripped of my leadership position, fine, I don't even care about that any more. If I'm taken off the team altogether, fine, I don't want to go through building back up the trust I lost. If neither happens, fine… but that'll be the death of us, I know it. I might as well resign here and now, because it's obvious that I'm not wanted here, anyway."

The team was shocked by Nightwing's sudden outburst. But it wasn't as shocking as what happened next.

"You had no other choice?! Nightwing, there were other ways that this could've been handled! You could've let other people on the team in on this, and let them fight Kaldur and Artemis, rather than having next to nobody knowing and almost getting them killed! You could've let it take its course, and-"

"And **what?!** Mal, do you have any idea how much longer it would've taken to do something like this without infiltrating? This would've been a never-ending battle! Sure, in a hundred years or so, a majority of the Light would be dead, but what about their successors? Vandal's immortal, Ra's al Ghūl comes pretty close to immortal, and I don't even know if the Brain can die! And the Reach, they would've kept Blue and Green on mode, thus causing our apocalyptic future!

"This… this was hard for me, too. I didn't want it to go this far. I know how precious a life is… I know how hard it is to gain someone's trust. Anyone who knows me knows how difficult it is to get **my** trust. I suffered, just like you all did. You all suffered more, and I wish that a simple apology would take it back, but as we all know, that won't happen."

"This was hard for you?! You sure didn't act like… sure didn't… didn't…"

Mal had been yelling so much, he lost his voice. M'gann noticed, but didn't set up a psychic link… the Martian felt that Nightwing had enough from Mal.

* * *

_**Are you suffering?  
Are you suffering?**_

* * *

**A/N: This song ("Liar") sometimes freaks me out. ESPECIALLY this part of the song, as well as the part for Cassie and Jaime (****_Are you suffering/I want your suffering/I want your beautiful suffering/I want to see your pain). _However, it's my favorite Emilie Autumn song (next to "Opheliac," "Dead is the New Alive," and "306").**

******Next chapter is also short... sorry.**


	10. Reasoning

**A/N: This chapter here is the shortest so far for "Liar." However, I'm starting the newest chapter of "Head Like a Hole," which includes Dick's case notes, and I've recieved reviews about how people are wondering what's in them... answers? Confessions? A way of staying sane? We'll see :D**

* * *

**Chapter 10- Reasoning**

_**Are you suffering?  
Are you suffering?**_

* * *

Once Mal had lost his voice, Artemis glanced over at Nightwing. She offered the younger a comforting smile, knowing that the others (with the possible exception of Wally), wouldn't be as hard on him. The worst seemed to be over now.

"Karen?" M'gann asked. Karen nodded.

"Nightwing, as Robin said in the meeting we had earlier, none of us, with the exception of the original members of the team, have the right to be angry. But, Mal's point was just as valid. There are some of us that have proven to be trustworthy. You trust Robin and Batgirl with your life, don't you? Why not tell any of them?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said, kid. It was rhetorical. But, seriously, you didn't even consider telling them? Did Batman know that Kaldur wasn't a traitor?"

"Now, that, I can't answer." Nightwing said, "I wouldn't be surprised if he did. If he does, he sure didn't make it known, but he knows how undercover work works. If your comrades know who you are, and they make it look good, then the chances of your cover being blown aren't as bad. If they pull their punches and avoid you, then it's more likely that your cover will be blown."

Karen nodded. "Interesting. I would've thought you'd tell Batman everything."

"I never told him that I wasn't going to give up the hero life when he made me give up the mantle of Robin." Nightwing pointed out. For the first time in a while, he had a slight smirk on his face, "And he didn't expect it, either. Usually, what Batman says is law. I think I'm one of the few that can get away with certain things. I mean, had I not disobeyed Batman's orders, we wouldn't have found and freed Conner. We wouldn't even be a team! This team was founded on disobeying Batman's orders."

A slight chuckle escape Wally, before he remembers that he's angry at his best friend, and shouldn't laugh at a time like this.

In all honestly, knowing that Batman may or may not have known made her fell slightly better. Nightwing did have a valid reason. After all, learning from experience can impact the decision of anything like this. Karen was also aware that there were some people on the team that could prove to be difficult. La'gann was a jerk, Conner had anger issues, Jaime had unintentionally betrayed the team, M'gann had been manipulating the enemy, and Cassie just couldn't keep a secret!

"I see where you're coming from, Nightwing. I'm still hurt by it, but I see where you're coming from. So, I say you stay on the team, at least. The leadership thing… there are a few people capable, but we have to admit, you're on of the few people that do it best."

Nightwing seemed surprised. Almost everyone so far had been angry at him (technically, Karen was angry, but she wasn't chewing him out like most of the team), so this was something unexpected, especially since it came from Karen. He would've thought she'd side with Mal…

"And, Nightwing… I know there are people on this team that could prove to be difficult when it comes to something like this. I probably would've done the same."

* * *

_**Are you suffering?  
Are you suffering?**_

* * *

**A/N: This isn't even cannon, and yet I have a newfound respect for Karen.**


	11. Torture

**A/N: Correction. _This_ is he shortest chapter of "Liar."**

* * *

**Chapter 11- Torture**

_**Are you suffering?  
I want your suffering  
I want your beautiful suffering  
I want to see your pain**_

* * *

Karen's speech had quite an impact on the members of the team, much like Robin's speech had. This led to people seriously rethinking this.

Some, though, had already made up their mind.

Cassie, at first, wasn't sure what to think. Then, as everyone before he had their chance, she kept switching from "Nightwing's totally guilty" to "Nightwing was only doing what he had to" and back. Now, though, she had made up her mind.

Cassie didn't even wait for Miss Martian to ask when she said, "I think I understand what went through Nightwing's head."

All eyes were now on Cassie.

"This entire time, I had been going back and forth, thinking that we should take Nightwing off the team or keep him, and I just couldn't make up my mind until now. But, now that I think about it, I think we should try to put ourselves in Nightwing's shoes. As leader, he has to make tough decisions… unfortunately, this was one of them. As he said earlier, he had originally planned on infiltrating the Light with Kaldur rather than sending Artemis. What if he did? What if he faked his death and was forced to attack us? What if he was forced to blow Mount Justice to smithereens? What if he was forced to capture Jaime, Bart, and Gar? Have any of you considered that?"

"Have you?" Artemis asked.

"Yeah… I have. While Karen was talking, I thought about it. He's been on this team for over five years. We haven't. He's seen and done things that we could never imagine. I thought about the effects of his fake death if he did infiltrate the Light, and they'd probably be worse if he did do that. No offense, Artemis, but I think each and every person on this team has a closer relationship to Nightwing than you. Think about what would happen if he decided to go along with his original plan… Wally, wouldn't you try to avenge his death? Would any of you be willing to _kill_ Kaldur because of Nightwing's 'death'?"

"She does have a point." Artemis said.

"Cassie," Nightwing said, "I don't really think I'm that close with **everyone** on this team. That much is evident with La'gann. And I… I never wanted to be the leader of this team, not since my decisions drove my teammates to their deaths."

"Nightwing, that was a-"

"I know it was just a simulation, Kaldur, but that doesn't change a thing. Some of you think I did this with little to no emotion, right?" A few members of the team acknowledged the fact that they thought he worked without much emotion in this case, but some were afraid to admit it. "You're wrong. It was… it was fucking torture! I had to deal with the fact that there was a chance that neither of my friends would come out of this alive. Plus, there was still a chance that someone else could die. Damn it, we've already lost Tula, Ted, and Ja-Robin because of the Light, and I wasn't about to let another one of my friends die because of them. So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not wanting to lose any more members of my family."

* * *

_**Are you suffering?  
I want your suffering  
I want your beautiful suffering  
I want to see your pain**_

* * *

**A/N: I know, it took forever for me to update... just haven't had any good ideas...**


End file.
